Alpha Beta Gamer

The Maker’s Eden is a stylish first person motion comic-style point and click adventure game set in a retro-futuristic noir world run by machines.

The Alpha Demo offers a short, beautifully drawn section of the game with you waking up with no memory inside a stasis pod and soon has you on the run from the authorities. The artwork really is excellent, every hand-painted scene has a sense of depth created by layers and camera movement. Scenes are not static, and there’s just enough environmental effects and animation to draw you in but not break the comic-book style presentation.

It’s certainly shaping up to be a great blend of graphic novel style with point and click gameplay, and most importantly, it’s got an intriguing story that will leave you craving more.

Download the Alpha Demo, Free

Gunplay is a Sci-Fi action platformer that draws comparisons to Mega man, but with 360° aiming and lots of guns - LOTS of very large, very powerful guns.

There’s a large focus on customisation in Gunplay, the sheer volume of choice can be a little overwhelming when you first start out and the system for selecting your weaponry is can be a little confusing (when in the armoury, click on ‘primary’, 'secondary’ or 'back-up’ with the mouse pointer). But once you figure it out it’s great fun experimenting with the wide variety of unique and inventive weaponry.

While graphically it’s reminiscent of Mega Man, the level design feels more like Castlevania/Metroid, with large open levels which you are free to explore and kill things in. Gunplay is shaping up to be a great game, and there’s a lot of fun to be had from experimenting with the weaponry and gadgets. It’s due to start a Steam Greenlight campaign soon so be sure to keep keep an eye out and throw it a vote!

Download the Beta, Free

BEARZERKERS is a top-down arcade multiplayer arena game where you and three others play as critters who have to run, roll, dig and bounce away from a vicious bear trying to eat you, with the last critter standing being proclaimed the winner.

The bear is big, ferocious and unstoppable so it will catch you eventually, but you have a variety of tricks up your sleeve to postpone your inevitable demise for a long as possible. The most useful of these is the ability to construct barriers behind you, blocking off the bears attack, or for maximum effect, trapping another player in with the bear. You’ll soon become aware, that although the bloodthirsty bear is out to get you, you can use it to eliminate the rest of the players in a variety of devious ways (usually involving guiding the bear towards them or impeding their escape).

It’s a fun and frantic game and a perfect for playing with friends, the bears may be deadly but it’s the other players you really have to watch out for.

Download the Prototype, Free

Death to Spies 3 is a third person stealth game that’s the third instalment of the popular ’Death to Spies’ series, taking place in both the World War II and the Cold War era. You play as a Russian captain named Semyon Strogov (it’s a rather unfortunate first name) who has the necessary skills to accomplish dangerous, almost suicidal missions.

The game feels like an old school stealth game with a James Bond vibe to it and a range of Hitman-style weaponry. The stealth mechanics are solid, you have a garrotte to choke your enemies and a silenced pistol to take out unreachable targets, and you can also drag bodies out of sight to not alarm other enemies.

It’s shaping up to be a great stealth game, with stealthy Hitman-style gameplay in a cold war seting, and some nicely polished visuals.

Download the Beta Demo, Free

Lumini is a 2.5D ‘flow’ adventure game where you take control of a school of winged fish in a beautiful underwater fantasy world where everything is out to get you.

The game is best played with a 360 controller since each analogue stick can be used to split your swarm to two separate groups. You also have the ability to grow your school of ilumini and unlock new types of ilumini with special abilities by collecting glowing elements and taking them to a special artefact. These different types of lumini and the ability to split your school in two are used to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles in this beautiful/dangerous underwater world.

It’s a very enjoyable experience, with smooth controls, great visuals, an excellent soundtrack and an overall feeling of tranquillity. It’s like a serene version of Echo The Dolphin, with more fish and beautiful visuals.

Download the Pre-Alpha Demo, Free

In Sandmason you are a mine worker, stuck deep in an underground cave system where strange things are afoot, with only your hi-tech mining tools to aid your escape. These mining tools allow you to dig through soft rock and build on anything in this fully dynamic environment, allowing you to solve puzzles and create deadly traps.

The digging and building in Sandmason is the main draw and offers with total freedom to aproach obstacles and enemies as you see fit. You also have the ability to create force fields, use ninja ropes, jetpacks and other items, as well as unlocking perks and levelling up your character by finding hidden treasures.

The games multiplayer component is very different but just as much fun. While the single-player mode is more about adventuring and solving puzzling problems, the multi-player mode is all about fast-paced action and destruction. The dynamic environment and many different weapons, tools, and tricks allow endless tactical possibilities to beat your enemies. Co-op is also planned for a future release, so you’ll also be able to go spellunking with friends through Sandmasons Mysterious caves.

Comparisons are bound to be drawn to Minecraft, but the only similarity is that you can dig through rocks and build structures, this really has more in common with Portal, full of interesting puzzles and exploration, rewarding lateral thinking and experimentation. Give it a go, you’ll dig it.

Play the Alpha Demo, Free

Combat Core is a 3D arena fighting game inspired by Power Stone, Custom Robo, and Super Smash Bros, featuring multiplayer combat, custom fighters customisation, weapon pickups, power-ups, and environmental hazards.

Using the character editor, players can create their own combatants with varying stats, attack, skills, unique appearance, and add a custom core for new abilities and a power boost. It currently features local multiplayer and matches versus computer controlled opponents, with online features in the pipework.

Combat Core features fast, frantic and fun gameplay that takes Power Stone’s level design and mixes it with Smash Bros chaotic brawling. It’s a fun game, especially especially in 4 player battle royale mode, where it just descends into a free-for-all – full of anarchic combat and (very) temporary alliances.

Download the Alpha Demo, Free

In Don’t Shoot Yourself you are your own worst enemy, literally! It’s a shoot-em-up where the only enemy is yourself – automatically shooting bullets behind you as you move around the enclosed levels.

These bullets will then bounce around the levels continuously until you complete the level or die (which is more probable). To complete a level you have to fire 100 bullets, which then triggers a magic bullet that smashes the levels walls and saves you from yourself. Different walls reflect your bullets in different ways and 100 bullets are pretty hard to dodge, so you must use careful planning, strategy and quick reflexes to beat the game.

It’s a great game, with a nice minimalistic art style and fast paced gameplay that offers a whole new take on bullet hell. In Don’t Shoot Yourself there are 100 bullets with your name on them – because you fired them!

Download the Beta Demo, Free

Paragon Evolved is a fast-paced sci-fi FPS which combines the speed and intensity of older shooters with the tactics and strategy of modern ones.

The full game will feature a challenging story-driven campaign mode, but the Alpha demo features three full horde-style combat maps where you can use a variety of very cool looking weaponry against waves of increasingly brutal enemies. It’s no cover based shooter, gameplay is fast and frantic, and attack is definitely the best form of defence.

The futuristic, neon filled graphical style is excellent. Especially the weaponry which is suitably OTT and cool looking, making a game that feels like playing Unreal Tournament in TRON. Flynn Lives! (but only until he gets fragged by a grenade).

Download the Alpha Demo, Free

Skyhill is a stylish turn roguelike point n click turn based survival game about staying alive when there is no reason to.

You are a resident of Skyhill hotel who survived a biological catastrophe. Your goal is to get out of your penthouse in search of other people and salvation. But all elevators in the building are off and floors are flooded with hazards.

The game features an interesting mix of gameplay mechanics, with point and click adventure style puzzle solving, turn based combat, scavenging, crafting and survival tropes. You also have to plan your movements well, as every move uses up some of your energy, the limited resources mean starvation is a constant threat. Although not present in the Alpha Demo, the full version also promises a twisted plotline, multiple characters and procedurally generated level design.

Play the Alpha Demo, Free

Posts tagged greenlight